Bali Nine judges asked for bribes, lawyer claims

Written By komlim puldel on Minggu, 15 Februari 2015 | 20.01

The govt is making '11th hour' representations to Indonesia on behalf of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Australian death-row prisoners Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. A lawyer has claimed the six judges who gave them the death penalty offered a lighter sentence in exchange for a bribe. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)Source: AP

LAWYERS for the two Bali Nine on death row have alleged, in sensational new claims, that the six judges who gave them the death penalty offered a lighter sentence in exchange for a bribe.

But apparently the lawyers had no money with which to bargain.

The allegation is contained in a letter which lawyers for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have sent to Indonesia's Judicial Commission, calling for an investigation.

The claim comes from the men's original trial lawyer, who represented them when they got the death penalty in the Denpasar District Court, who has offered up the evidence regardless of whether it discredits him.

It follows a surprise visit by the lawyer, Muhammad Rifan, to Chan and Sukumaran in jail last weekend, where he told the two men he was prepared to help them in their fight to beat the firing squad.

"Muhammad Rifan said that the judges were pressured from certain parties to give the death sentence, and the judges had also conveyed to Muhammad Rifan that they were willing to give a lighter sentence than death sentence to his client if they were given some money," the letter from the men's lawyers says.

The letter was sent to the Judicial Commission on Friday afternoon. It names the six judges involved in the two cases. A panel of three judges in the Denpasar District Court heard each case.

The letter alleges that the judges violated the judicial code of conduct.

One of the judges, Roro Suroywati, has told News Corp Australia that she never wanted to give Sukumaran the death penalty but was over ruled by the other two judges on the case.

The lawyers now plan to seek a meeting with the Indonesian Attorney General in Jakarta on Monday morning.

The legal team has also written to the Attorney General HM Prasetyo, seeking a stay of execution, as they have lodged a lawsuit with the State Administrative Court in Jakarta which is yet to be heard or considered.

Mr Rifan told News Corp Australia that, at the time his team was seeking a lighter sentence, there was no money to give the judges.

Speaking from Saudi Arabia, where he is on a pilgrimage to Mecca for Umroh, he said that his team had sought a sentence of 20 years.

Mr Rifan said it was habit, if they requested a lighter term, to provide something to the judges but they had not reached the point of discussing how much.

"So we asked for a lighter sentence, at least 20 years prison term. It is our habit, if we want to request something, we will provide," Mr Rifan said.

"The problem, at that time, there is no fund that we can give to them. That's the problem. There is no money that we can give to them.," he said.

Mr Rifan said that Chan and Sukumaran had been advised to answer `'don't know" to questions from the judges at the trials — a strategy which is not helpful in an Indonesian court where co-operation and admissions of guilt count for a great deal in mitigation.

He said he had discussed this issue and the trial strategy with the two men when he met them one week ago.

Mr Rifan said at the time that the two Sydney men were to get a life sentence for their crime but there had been "intervention" and instead they were given a death penalty.

One of the judges, Roro Suroywati, has told News Corporation that she never wanted to give Sukumaran the death penalty but was over ruled by the other two judges on the case.

The lawyers now plan to seek a meeting with the Indonesian Attorney General in Jakarta on Monday morning.

The legal team has also written to the Attorney General HM Prasetyo, seeking a stay of execution, as they have lodged a lawsuit with the State Administrative Court in Jakarta which is yet to be heard or considered.

Originally published as Bali Nine judges asked for bribes, lawyer claims